Summary
Josh Hartnett stars in M. Night Shyamalan’s new psychological horror thrillerTrap, which was released in theaters on July 29, 2025.Hartnett has made a major comebackover the last few years after he appeared inBlack Mirrorseason 6 and Christopher Nolan’s Best Picture winner Oppenheimer and has shown no signs of slowing down since. He made asurprise guest appearance inThe Bearseason 3, becoming an official member of the series' coveted expansive universe, and is now playing a serial killer in disguise inTrap, which also features the feature film debut of Shyamalan’s daughter Salekaas pop singer Lady Raven.
WhileTrapmay not go down as one ofHartnett’s all-time best movies, debuting with a Rotten Tomatoes critic score of 44%, it still has a great chance of being profitable at the box office with its relatively modest production budget. Despite having a history of up-and-down ratings from critics,Shyamalan movies almost always find a way to make money due to their low costs of production. 2016’sSplitstarring James McAvoy and Anya Taylor-Joy was arguably Shyamalan’s most recent great movie, although 2023’sKnock at the Cabinwas also mostly well-received.
Josh Hartnett as Cooper Adams
Actor:Following his breakout roles in teen horror films such asHalloween H20andThe Faculty,Josh Hartnett became one of the most in-demand young actors in Hollywood during the early 2000s. He became a star in war movies likePearl HarborandBlack Hawk Downbefore stepping into other popular roles in movies likeThe Black Dahlia, Lucky Number Slevin,Sin City,and30 Days of Night. Hartnett has also been featured in a number of recent Guy Ritchie films such as Wrath of Man (2021) and Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, which greatly contributed to him gaining enough momentum to land the starring role in M. Night Shyamalan’sTrap.
Sin City(2005)
The Man
Character:Josh Hartnett plays Cooper Adams inTrap, a serial killer in disguise who finds himself in an elaborate cat-and-mouse game with law enforcement while he takes his daughter to a pop concert.
Ariel Donoghue as Riley Adams
Actor:Ariel Donoghue is an up-and-coming teen actor from Australia. Donoghue is best known for her roles inWolf Like Me(2022),Blueback(2022) andTough(2021). She made her professional acting debut in an episode ofHigh Lifein 2017 at the age of 7 before starring in numerous short films throughout her career as a child actor.Trapis surely the biggest role Donoghue has gotten to date.
Wolf Like Me(2022)
Emma
Character:Ariel Donoghue plays Riley Adams, Cooper’s daughter who he takes to the concert inTrap.
Saleka Shyamalan as Lady Raven
Actor:Saleka Shyamalan is one of M. Night Shyamalan’s daughters. Born in 1996, she will be making her feature film debut inTrap. Her character, Lady Raven, is essentially a fictionalized version of her real-life stage name, Saleka, as a singer and recording artist. Saleka released an entire debut album to accompany the release of Trap titled LADY RAVEN which features rappers Russ and Kid Cudi, both of whom have roles in the film. Saleka also made some of the original music in her father’s Apple series Servant. Both albums can be found on Apple Music and Spotify.
Character:Saleka Shyamalan plays Lady Raven, a pop singer who performs at the concert venue where Josh Hartnett’s character gets set up inTrap.
Hayley Mills as Dr. Grant
Actor:Hayley Mills is a celebrated actress who began acting in the late 1950s with 1959’s crime thrillerTiger Bay. She rose to prominence from her star role as Susan Evers and Sharon McKendrick in 1961’sThe Parent Trap. Mills has starred in dozens of notable films throughout her career, particularly for Disney, such asPollyanna(1960) andWhistle Down the Wind(1961). The 78-year-old British actress has recently appeared inThe Wheel of TimeandWild at Heartafter taking a ten-year hiatus from acting between 1994 and 2004.
That Darn Cat!(1965)
Patti
Character:Hayley Mills plays Dr. Josephine Grant, an FBI profiler who is running the operation to capture Josh Hartnett’s serial killer character inTrap.
Alison Pill as Rachel Adams
Actor:Alison Pill is a well-known actress who has starred in some of the most notable films of the 21st century, including 2008’sMilkand 2010’sScott Pilgrim vs. The World. A former child actress out of Toronto, Canada, Pill appeared in several projects as a youngster before transitioning to more adult roles. She rose to prominence from her role as Grace Webster in the television seriesThe Book of Daniel(2006). She has recently starred in the original Apple seriesHello Tomorrow!, season 13 ofArcher,Star Trek: Picard, and Amazon’sThem.
The Newsroom(2012-2014)
Maggie Jordan
Character:Alison Pill plays Rachel Adams, Cooper’s wife and Riley’s mom inTrap.
Kid Cudi as The Thinker
Actor:Scott Mescudi, better known as Kid Cudi, is one of the most successful rappers in the world. His shot to stardom following the release of his 2009 debut albumMan On the Moon: The End of Daywith hit singles such as “Day ‘n’ Nite”, “Soundtrack 2 My Life”, and “Pursuit of Happiness (Nightmare)”. Kid Cudi began acting in 2010 when he appeared as himself inOne Tree Hill. He made his recurring television debut in HBO’sHow to Make It in America(2010-2011) and has since starred in numerous films and series such asNeed for Speed(2014),Westworld(2020),We Are Who We Are(2020),Don’t Look Up(2021), andX(2022). He also created and starred in the animated Netflix seriesEntergalacticwhich won an Emmy for Best Character Design.
Character:Kid Cudi will play a character called The Thinker inTrap.
Trap’s Supporting Cast & Characters
Russ as Parker Reign: Russ is another real-life rapper who appears in Trap. He plays a character named Parker Reign in his first-ever professional acting role. He is credited as Russell Vitale.
Lochland Miller as Logan Adams: Miller is a child actor who plays Cooper’s son, Logan, inTrap. He has also appeared inWomen TalkingandMayor of Kingstown.
Marnie McPhail as Jody’s Mom: McPhail has starred inDream Scenario,Orphan Black: Echoes, andThe Way Home.
Jonathan Langdon as Jamie: Langdon plays Jamie, a venue employee in Trap. He’s appeared inRobyn Hood,Run the Burbs, andSpecial Correspondents.
Vanessa Smythe as Tour Manager: Smythe has appeared inThe Expanse,Designated Survivor, andStar Trek: Strange New Worlds.
Hailey Summer as The Thinker’s Assistant: Summer has appeared inReacher,Get Up, Aisha, andDorms.
M. Night Shyamalan as Lady Raven’s Uncle: Shyamalan makes a cameo as Lady Raven’s uncle inTrap. He has had cameos in many of his own movies, includingSplit,Glass,Old,Knock at the Cabin, and more.
Trap
Cast
Trap is a film by writer-director M. Night Shyamalan under his Blinding Edge Pictures label. The film is part of a deal struck with Warner Bros for him to direct and produce several films under their banner.
